Romford MP Andrew Rosindell, councillors and church leaders visited the home of 85-year-old Rosina Coleman who was found dead in her Romford home with serious injuries.

Police launched a murder investigation after Rosina Coleman was found dead in her Romford home with serious injuries on Tuesday, May 15.

A post mortem examination determined the cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the head and neck.

The London Ambulance Service and police were called to Ashmour Gardens just after 11.30am on Tuesday, May 15 to reports of a woman found dead in her home.

She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Andrew Rosindell MP and Chief Superintendent Jason Gwillim talking about the murder of 85 year old Rosina Coleman and to lay flowers at the scene.

Romford MP Andrew Rosindell, Jason Gwillim, borough commander of the east area and councillors and church leaders, visited Rose’s home in Ashmour Gardens to lay some flowers outside and pay their respects.

Jason Gwillim said: “The support we’ve had from the local community is absolutely excellent, because you know now of course we’ve changed the way we work in Havering.

“We’re now part of the tri-borough and we’re able to call on resources from all of those three boroughs to help us here.

“That’s really reassuring and you can see some of the positive elements that we’ve had with regards to that, and that will help us significantly in these sorts of problems.”

Mr Rosindell said: “I think people are alarmed but this is the first incident of this kind I can ever remember in this area.

“We’ve lost someone in our community who was very well known and loved by lots of people who are deeply shocked that something of this magnitude has happened here.

“We are also very determined that such people who come and commit such wicked crimes will not get away with it and that justice will be brought.

“There is a feeling in the town that we are not as safe as we once were.”

Rosina Coleman was found with head injuries in her home on Tuesday, May 15. Photo: Met Police

“It’s time that the police were crime-fighters defending our community again.”

Cllr Christine Vickery, councillor for Havering Park also attended the crime scene to pay her respects to Rose.

“I was devastated, I was horrified and I can’t believe this has happened here in Romford,” she said.

“It’s always been a peaceful happy community and this has shocked the whole community.

Andrew Rosindell MP and Chief Superintendent Jason Gwillim talking about the murder of 85 year old Rosina Coleman and to lay flowers at the scene. A police officer lays the flowers outside of the victim's house

“We need a neighbourhood watch - the residents need to get together and support each other, especially people that are vulnerable like the elderly.”

Reverend David Hague, vicar of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Redriff Road said: “We have members of this congregation in this area and they are just absolutely shocked and deeply upset that somebody elderly in years should have their life taken in such a way.

“In the church we are very passionate about this community and we see our role very much as trying to help the community to work together to make connections between people, because ultimately our security comes from being good neighbours to each other, and that’s what we want to try and foster.”

Alan Wackett, 84, from Priests Avenue used to do Rose’s gardening and said it was “unbelievable” what happened to her.

“I used to do her gardening for her, about two years ago. She was a very nice lady, she was always very good to me.

“The last time I saw her was in the [Happy Eater cafe], I was in there having my dinner and she tapped me on my shoulder - she always liked to have a talk.

“You always read about these things but it’s different when it happens on your doorstep.

“She was a real genuine person, there’s not many about like her.”

Chloe, 20, works at the Happy Eater cafe in Collier Row said that Rose would visit the cafe about twice a week.

“She was really nice, she used to get her nails down with acrylics and would always want to show them to me,” Chloe added.